The trail into and through Cascade Valley has less foot traffic and more obstacles than the John Muir Trail. Between Purple Lake and the spot where we left Cascade Valley there were numerous downed trees blocking the trail and the tread was, generally, narrower and in rougher condition than the John Muir Trail.

Still, Fish Creek was flowing strongly and provided a gorgeous backdrop for the afternoon hike. The trail drops down to the creek several times over the next five miles, including one spot near a waterfall that makes for a perfect area to take a food and rest break.

Eventually the trail reaches a point where it crosses the creek. There’s no bridge and when we crossed the water was about knee-high at its deepest.

After the crossing the trail continues along a ridge on the west side of the valley for about a mile.

Once you reach the top of the ridge it’s about another mile down some steep switchbacks to get to the hot springs.

CLOSE

Backpacking in bear country? These tips will help you get the most out of your bear canister.
Benjamin Spillman/RGJ

The springs are a complex of pools scattered along a hillside in marshy terrain. We located our campsite by leaving the main trail and hiking off-trail through some of the marshy ground. If you're unfamiliar with the area it can take some time to find a good spring and campsite. Some members of my group had been to Iva Bell before and knew exactly where to look.

By the time we had made camp it was nearly sundown and I was exhausted. Some of the hikers headed over to the closest spring to soak and chat. All I could think about how we only had one night to rest before we had to climb more than 3,000 feet to get back out the following morning.

Waterfall on Fish Creek in Cascade Valley, just west of Mammoth Lakes, Calif.(Photo: Benjamin Spillman/RGJ)

I had dinner in the dark and headed to my tent and sprawled out on top of my sleeping bag. I’m not sure how much time passed but I suddenly didn’t feel sleepy. Instead I felt grimy and uncomfortable and didn’t want to get into my bag that way.

I crawled out of the tent and headed over to the spring. By this time everyone else had headed back to their tents and there was no one else at the spring.

The spring we chose had a large, smooth log next to it so I sat down and changed into my shorts and then stepped into the water.

The bottom of the spring felt good on my feet. It wasn’t quite sandy, more like small gravel, and it wasn’t mucky or slimy.

The water was warm but not hot. The temperature turned out to be a blessing because it made it easier to soak for an extended period of time without getting too hot.

It was time to sit back, relax and enjoy the moment. The sky was mostly clear and the stars were incredible. Silhouettes from some nearby trees and the ridge we had hiked earlier marked the horizon line.

The soak was incredible and changed my mood entirely. I crawled back into the tent for a restful night’s sleep and awoke ready for the hike out.

Because we had parked in Mammoth Lakes we hiked out by the same route. Had transportation been available we could have made a slightly shorter hike out to Red’s Meadow, which is another route to reach Iva Bell.

Although the spring was great the campsite had some downsides. The site itself was on dry, flat and durable ground but the surrounding area was marshy and it was a bit of a hike to fetch fresh, cold water. We also had to take a bit of a walk to find areas that were far enough away from water and appropriate for burying human waste.

Also, given that it is a long hike to reach Iva Bell I’d recommend scheduling an itinerary that allows you to stay there more than one night. There are multiple trails leading out of the area that would be worth exploring by day before soaking by night.